Spud well for dredges



Aug. 28, 1962 P. J. CUSHING, SR

SPUD WELL FOR DREDGES Filed Nov. 28, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Q L INVENTOR. PAUL J CUSH/NQ, SR

A T TOPNEYS T atent Patented Aug. 28, 1962 dice 3,050,830 SPUD WELL FOR DREDGES Paul J. Cashing, Sn, Piedmont, Caliil, assignor to Hydrauiic Dredging (30., Ltd, Oakland, Qalii, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 28, 196i), Ser. No. 71,972 '7 Claims. (Cl. 37-73) This invention relates to watercraft and more particularly to a new spud well for dredges.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a new spud well for dredges in which a spud may be mounted and used most efiiciently.

It is another object of this invention to provide a spud well for dredges which will increase the efliciency of the dredge by rendering it able to withstand more severe Weather conditions than dredges could withstand heretofore.

It is another object of the invention to provide a spud well for dredges which will increase the maximum stress which can be imparted to the spud by the hull of the dredge without causing permanent damage to the spud.

It is another object of the invention to provide such an improved spud well which will substantially eliminate the possibility of damage to a spud even when the spud is subjected to excessive stress.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new spud well in which the stress imparted to the spud by the hull of the dredge will be distributed over a maximum area of the spud and in which such distribution of stress will be substantially uniform over the area of contact between the spud well and the spud.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent throughout the following description read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view in side elevation of a dredge employing the principle of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a portion of the stern of the dredge of FIG. 1 illustrating the spud wells of the dredge and showing in phantom outline such spud wells when opened;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation of one'of the spuds wells of the dredge illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the spud well of FIG. 3 taken along the plane indicated at 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the spud well of FIG. 4 taken along the plane indicated at 55 in FIG. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the dredge upon which the new spud wells of the invention are employed is illustrated as comprising a hull carrying a superstructure l2 and a boom 14 which supports a suitable dred ing tool 16 by means of hoist cables is and 2%.

A pair of spud wells 22 (illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 3-5) are rigidly mounted on the stern of the bull 10, each spud well 22 embracing a spud 24 which is vertically reciproca-ble through the spud well 22 by means of conventional support and hoist means indicated generally at 2.5 in FIG. 1.

The dredge as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is employed in conventional manner wherein the spuds 24 are lowered to the bottom of the body of water on which the dredge floats and are thus employed for anchoring the dredge in operating position while the dredging tool 16 is lowered to the bottom of the body of water. As is conventional in the art, the spuds 24 may be lowered to the bottom of the body or" water individually and may be thus employed as stilts on which the dredge walks while performing dredging operations.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, each of the spud wells 22 is rigidly mounted on the hull it of the dredge by means of a vertical support strut 28 welded to the hull ill, a triangular brace structure 3d supported on the deck of the dredge at its stern and four horizontal p ates 32, 34, 36 and 38 welded to the hull 10, the strut 28 and the brace 33. The horizontal plate 34 is provided with a semicircular recess in its outer edge in which a wall 40 is received. The wall 4i) is constructed from a semi-cylindrical section of tube and is welded to the plate 34. The upper and lower ends of the tube 45 are provided with Semi-cylindrical cap members 42 and 44 respectively welded thereto. The horizontal support plates 32, 36 and 38 are provided with semi-circular recesses therein which are welded to the cap members 42 and 44 to provide rigid support for the tube member 40 on the stern of the dredge.

An elongated rib 46 is welded to the tube member 40 on either side of the support plate 28, and a plurality of hinge brackets 48 are welded to the ribs 46 adjacent to the support plates 32.33 to define half of two vertical hinges diametrically opposed at the opposite edges of the semi-cylindrical wall 40.

A second semi-cylindrical tube member 50 having upper and lower semi-cylindrical caps 52 and 54, horizontal support plates 56, 58, 6d and 62 and vertical ribs '64 similar to corresponding parts on the tube member 40 is mounted adjacent to each tube member 40 to define a generally cylindrical spud well. The support plates 32, 56, 48, 34, 58, 36, 60, 62 and 38 are provided with vertically aligned apertures therethrough which receive tapered hinge pins 66 which pivotally attach the semicylindrical wall member 59 to the semi-cylindrical wall member til. It should be noted from FIG. 2 that the removal of one of the pins '66 from each spud well permits the tubular member 50 to pivot outwardly away from the member ll to permit the spud 24 to be moved into or out of the spud well in a horizontal direction.

The diameter of the pin 66 adjacent to each area of hinge connection between the tubular members 40 and Si is chosen so that the pin 66 will be unaffected by normal stresses on the spud well but will shear to release the tubular member 50 from the member 40 when the stresses on the spud well increase to such an extent that possible damage to the spuds 24 might result. In this regard it should be noted that the pins 66 are tapered in order to have a larger diameter at their tops than at their bottoms, and the hinged connection which each pin 66 makes at the lower end of the spud well requires shear of the pin 66 in four places to release the member 50 whereas the hinged connection at the top end of the spud well will be broken upon shearing of the pin in only tWO places.

Referring now in detail to FIGS. 4 and 5, the spud Wells are provided with novel spud well entry means at the top and bottom of each spud well. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate this spud well entry means as it is employed at the lower end of one spud well. It should be understood that the same spud well entry means is provided at the upper end of the spud well within the cap members 42 and 52.

Referring to the construction of the lower ends of the spud wells, it will be noted that the spud well cap members 4d and 5d are welded to the outsides of the Walls 40 and 5d and. are provided with internal flanges 68 on the bottom thereof (see FIG. 5) whereby the cap members 44 and 54 define an internal annular recess 70 in the lower ends of the spud wells. A generally semi-cylindrical sleeve 72 made of spring steel is mounted in each recess 7b with its upper and lower ends retained in the recess by the lower end of the wall 40 or 50 and the flange 68 respectively. A resilient liner 74 preferably constructed of a salt water resistant material such as rubber is disposed in each recess 76 between the bottom of the recess and the outer, convex side of the spring steel sleeve 72. Each liner 74 is provided with a plurality of annular grooves 76 therein which are'concentrated in volume toward the lower end of the liner 74 to permit greater compression of the liner'74 near its lower end than near its upper end. The sleeves 72 and liners 74 are attached to thecap members 44 and 54 by countersunk bolts 78 extending through oversized apertures in the cap members 44 and54 and sleeves 72 and resiliently attached to the cap members 44 and 54 by springs 80 and nuts 82 whereby the bolts 78 resiliently support the sleeves 72 in the recesses 70.

It should be noted that the sleeves 72 define generally cylindrical bearing surfaces for support of the spuds 24, the diameter of the bearing surfaces being approximately equal to the diameter of the spuds 24 and slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the spud W611 defined by the inner Surfaces of the semi-cylindrical tubular wall members 40 and 50. It should be understood that the spuds 24, though very strong, exhibit some curvature when used at maximum depths and when the hull of the dredge is subjected to ground swells, high winds, and the like. In addition, the provision of suflicient clearance between the sleeves 72 and the spuds to permit axial movement of the spuds in the spud wells permits the spuds to be inclined slightly to the axis of the spud well. This inclination normally results in the application of shear forces to the spuds at the top and bottom edges of the spud wells. In the device of this invention, these shear forces are distributed over the area of the sleeves 72; the provision of the resiliently compressible liners 74 permits the sleeves 72 to flex and adapt the axis of the spud well in'that area to the axis of the spuds.

. Inthis manner, the resiliently deformable mouths of the spud well distribute over a large area the shear forces normally applied to the spud at the top and bottom edges of the spud well. In addition, the provision of the resiliently deformable mouths of the spud wells facilitates vertical movement of a spud through the spud well in any area where an irregularity may appear in'the surface of the spud, in this manner the resilient mouths of the spud well permit smaller clearance between the spud and the spud well. Smaller clearance, of course, permits more eflicient operation of the dredge by positioning the dredge more accurately when a spud is fully extended.

Construction of the sleeves out of spring steel reduces wear'on the spuds and the sleeves, but the use of other materials or the elimination of the sleeves 72 may be possible in some situations. Likewise, in some situations the retaining bolts 78 and springs 80 may be eliminated, and the liners 74 may be vulcanized to the caps 54, etc.

While one'specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in detail and described herein, it is obvious that many modifications in the structures disclosed may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A dredge comprising a hull adapted to float on water, a generally verticalspud well mounted on said hull and having upper and lower open ends, a spud mounted in said spud well and movable vertically therethrough, lift means for raising said spud through said spud well andjlowering' said spud through said spud well to engage the bottom of the body of water on which said hull floats to moor said'hull in dredging position, spud well entry means attached to the bottom of said spud well and defining said lower open end of said well, said 7 entry means having wear resistant wall portions shaped to embrace said spud with their inner surfaces closer together than the inner surface of said spud well, and mounting means for said entry means supporting said entry means against movement axially of said spud well whilepermitting universal flexure of said entry means with respect to said spud well, said spud well with said entry means mounted thereon being constructed of two semi-cylindrical halves one rigidly attached to said hull and one pivotally mounted on said hull about a generally vertical axis, and latch means is provided for latching said pivotally mounted half to said rigidly attached half with said halves in a closed, spud well defining relation.

2. In a dredge having a hull adapted to float on water, a pair of spuds mounted on said hull for engaging the bottom of the body of water on which the dredgefloats to an-,. chor the hull in dredging position, a pair of generally ver tical spud wells mounted on said hull for receiving said.

spuds and mooring said hull to said spuds,'and means for lifting and lowering said spuds through said spud wells, the improved spud well comprising a generally cylindrical tube constructed of a rigid material mounted on said hull with its axis generally vertical and having upper and lower open ends, a generally cylindrical sleeve having wear resistant wall portions and having an internal diameter less than the internal diameter of said tube, and means for mounting said sleeve at the bottom of said tube with its axis normally collinear with the axis of said tube, said.

mounting means comprising a rigid portion attached to said tube circumferentially enclosing said sleeve and supporting said sleeve against axial movement with respect 7 to said tube and a generally cylindrical, resiliently deformable liner between said rigid portion and the outer surface of said sleeve whereby deformation of said liner permits universal inclination of the axis of said sleeve with respect to the axis of said tube.

3. The improved spud well of claim 2 in which said tube comp-rises a pair of semi-cylindrical wall members one rigidly mounted on said hull and the other pivotally connected to said hull about an axis generally parallel to the cylindrical axis of said well and means for latching said pivotally mounted member in complementary, well forming relation with said rigidly mounted member; said sleeve comprises semi-cylindrical sleeve wall members;

said mounting means comprises two half portions one attached to each of said tube wall members; anda resilient retaining member is mounted on each of said mounting means half portions resiliently attaching one of said sleeve portions thereto.

4. The improved spud well of claim 3 in which said.

latching means comprises a shear pin of sufliciently large diameter to latch said tube wall members together during normal operation of said dredge but of sufliciently small diameter to sever and unlatch said tube wall members when said tube applies a force to said spud of suflicient magnitude to damage said spud.

- 5. In a dredge having a hull adapted to float on water, a pair of spuds mounted on the hull for engaging thebottom of'the body of water on which the dredge floats to anchor the hull in dredging'position, a pair of generally vertical spud wells mounted on said hull for receiving said spuds and mooring said hull to said spuds, and means for lifting and lowering said spuds through said spud wells, the improved spud well comprising a pair of semi-cylindrical wall members one mounted rigidly in vertical position on one end of said hull and the other pivotally mounted on said hull about a generally vertical axis positioned to permit movement of said wall to a position complementary with said rigidly mounted wall where said of said cylindrical well, a resiliently compressible liner in.

each of said recesses between the bottom of the recess and the convex side of said sleeve, and flexible attaching means holdingeach of said sleeves in its recess.

6. The improved spud well of claim 5 in which each ofsaid liners is provided with a plurality of voids therein concentrated in volume toward the adjacent open end of said spud well to render said liner more easily compressible in an area adjacent to said end than in the area thereof remote from said end.

7. A dredge comprising a hull adapted to float on water, a generally vertical spud Well mounted on said hull and having upper and lower open ends, a spud mounted in said spud well and movable vertically therethrough, lift means for raising said spud through said spud well and lowering said spud through said spud well to engage the bottom of the body of water on which said hull floats to moor said hull in dredging position, spud well entry means attached to thebottom of said spud well and defining said lower open end of said well, said entry means having wear resistant wall portions shaped to embrace said spud with their inner surfaces closer together than the inner surfaces of said spud well, and mounting means for said entry means supporting said entry means against movement axially of said spud well while permitting universal flexure of said entry means with respect to said spud well, said spud well with said entry means mounted thereon being constructed of two semi-cylindrical halves, one rigidly attached to said hull and one pivotally mounted on said hull about a generally vertical axis, and latch means is provided for latching said pivotally mounted half to said rigidly attached half with said halves in a closed, spud well defining relation, said latch means comprising a shear pin of sufliciently reduced diameter to separate and unlatch said halves responsive to a stress on said spud less than the stress that will damage the spud.

Robinson July 9, 1918 Bowers Feb. 10, 1931 

